Continued growth manufacturing output

07/10/2016 15:00
According to Statistics Netherlands (CBS), the average daily output generated by Dutch manufacturing industry was 2.2 percent up in August 2016 on a year-on-year basis, but the growth rate slowed down a bit relative to July. Over the past eleven months, manufacturing output has continually been above the level of the same month one year previously. Output realised by the transport equipment sector increased most rapidly in August.

Average daily output manufacturing (volume)

Transport equipment sector performs best

Output generated by the sector transport equipment was 10 percent up in August 2016 from August last year. The output growth rates of industries producing chemical products, machinery, rubber and plastic products, electrical equipment and metal products was also above average, but output generated by the pharmaceutical industry declined relative to August 2015.

Average daily output by sector

Altogether, the industries referred to in the above graph account for approximately 70 percent of total manufacturing output.

Positive trend manufacturing output

Figures adjusted for seasonal effects and the working-day pattern provide a more reliable picture of short-term output developments. From July to August 2016, manufacturing output declined by 0.9 percent.

Adjusted for seasonal variation, manufacturing output shows an irregular pattern with many ups and downs, but since mid-2014, the overall trend has been upward.

Seasonally adjusted average daily output manufacturing

Dutch producer confidence picks up

A few weeks ago, CBS reported that confidence among Dutch manufacturers has improved in September. Producer confidence has partly recovered from the setback in August.

Germany is an important foreign market for Dutch manufacturing industry. German manufacturers were also more optimistic in September than in August. Their confidence indicator reached the highest level in more than a year.